International Paper Co. has learned a lot from deploying radio-frequency identification technology a couple of months ago. It found out how to more efficiently store, move, and prepare to ship gigantic rolls of RFID-tagged paper, some weighing as much as a ton. The company also determined that it didn't need to install in all its facilities the full-scale version of its RFID-enabled Warehouse Tracking System that's in place at its Texarkana, Texas, mill. That decision potentially saves hundreds of thousands of dollars in installation and integration costs. And once International Paper gets RFID up and running in all its 24 U.S. mills, it may let customers take advantage of the technology to automatically trigger reorders when they move a roll of paper onto their own equipment to produce folding cartons, video packaging, or other items.
